CATESBY, Mark (1683-1749).
The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands: Containing the Figures of Birds, Beasts, Fishes, Serpents, Insects, and Plants; Particularly the Forest-Trees, Shrubs, and other Plants, not hitherto Described.
London: Printed at the Expense of the Author and Sold by W. Innys, R. Manby, Mr. Hauksbee and by the Author, 1731-1743. First Edition.
Comparables: Sotheby’s, 2007 - $657,000. Sotheby’s, 1989 - $462,500.

THE RARE FIRST EDITION of the “THE MOST FAMOUS COLOR-PLATE BOOK OF AMERICAN PLANT AND ANIMAL LIFE... a fundamental and original work for the study of American species” (Hunt).

Two volumes, folio (20 3/8” x 14”). Text in English and French, title-pages printed in red and black, dedication leaves in both volumes, ‘Preface’ bound in at the beginning of volume I, first issue of list of ‘Encouragers’ with 154 names bound in at the beginning of volume II, page numbers of 20 pages of text at the beginning of volume II corrected by hand as usual (bound without the Index, or the 44-page “Account” of the country). Double-page hand-colored engraved map bound at the front of volume I (supplied), and 200 fine engraved plates with original hand-color, heightened with gum arabic, and with gold on plates 23 and 24 of volume I (some occasional spotting, plate 80 of volume II browned).

Contemporary mottled calf, the spines in 8 compartments with 7 raised bands, gilt morocco lettering-pieces in the second of each, the others decorated with small gilt tools, with a suprlibros gilt on the front board of each volume (rebacked, preserving the original spines, extremities a bit scuffed).

Provenance: with the engraved bookplates of François-César de Tellier, Marquis de Courtanvaux (1718-1781), natural scientist, on the front paste-down of each volume, and his ink library stamps on each title-page and the verso of the last leaf in each volume, see the catalogue of his library dated 1782, item 676, 2 volumes as here; with the supralibros of George Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Duke of Sutherland KG, PC (1758–1833), known as Viscount Trentham from 1758 to 1786, as Earl Gower from 1786 to 1803 and as The Marquess of Stafford from 1803 to 1833, Knight of the Garter from 1771, British politician, diplomat, landowner and patron of the arts, on the front board of each volume, and his engraved armorial bookplate on the front paste-down of each volume.

With the first issue of the list of “Encouragers,” but with page 37 of vol. I corrected in the type rather than with an overslip. Originally issued in parts, with the preliminary leaves, including the dedication leaves, the Preface, the list of “Encouragers,” the map, the Index to the whole work, and the 44-page “Account” of the country, all issued in 1743 with the last part. It is often the case that some or all of these leaves are absent, or that they are found bound within the second volume, as is the case with the list of “Encouragers” here. Although four years later in 1747 Catesby published an Appendix with an extra 20 plates “to add plants and animals that remained from his own collections or had been sent to him after his return to England” (Overstreet), the Marquis de Courtanvaux, the earliest owner of record for this example, did not have it, as the catalogue of his collection published in 1782 lists the book as item 676 with two volumes only. Catesby’s preface details his two journeys to the New World and the development of his Natural History, including his decision to etch his plates himself in order to ensure both accuracy and economy. “Instead of perpetuating the previous stiff, profile manner of presentation, Catesby devised the method of mingling plants and animals in logical groupings, most often with accuracy and with proportional scale between figure and plant. He did his utmost to convey something of the particular habits or movements of each species. Simple though they are, he infused his compositions with a sense of movement and vitality not usual prior to his work” (Norelli).